Prince of Thorns: By Mark Lawrence

PRINCE OF THORNS

SUMMARY

When he was nine, he watched his mother and brother killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king...

It's time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what's rightfully his. Since the day he was hung on the thorns of a briar patch and forced to watch Count Renar's men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him-and he has nothing left to lose.

But treachery awaits him in his father's castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce, can the will of one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

REVIEW

Prince of Thorns is a fantastic debut novel. It, like its main character, Prince Jorg, is curt, cruel, and action packed. Like Ari Marmell’s The Conquerors Shadow The Prince of Thorns takes readers from the perspective of a natural antagonist. Jorg is a ruthless, merciless, and out for revenge. He has killed, raped, pillaged, and yet readers will still find themselves rooting for him. He is evil and pitiful at the same time, he has seen the worst of death and laughed in its face.

Of course Jorg wasn’t the only impressive character in the book. I personally loved the Nubian and Sir Makin. They each had an odd mixture of honor and savagery that was fascinating to read. And with Makin’s sense of humor and terrific balance to Jorg’s ruthlessness, Lawrence out did himself.

Lawrence also did a fantastic job creating enough action to keep even the least attentive reader engaged. Jorg goes from one life threatening situation to another, but Lawrence does it in a way that allows the story to flow through, instead of in a kind of piece-mail fashion that appears in some books when they try to insert large quantities of action into their books without mapping out it’s significance first.

All in all Prince of Thorns was a great book. I don’t know what’s next for Lawrence to write about as it felt more like a stand alone than a series, but I would certainly pick up a copy and would easily recommend The Prince of Thorns to those loving a good bloodbath with a ruthless and fascinating protagonist

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: August 2, 2011

Price: $25.95

Domestic Violets: By Matthew Norman

DOMESTIC VIOLETS

SUMMARY

Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he’d have everything going for him. Fame. Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.

The reality, though, is far different. He’s got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he’s written a novel, but the manuscript he’s slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.

Tom’s life is crushing his soul, but he’s decided to do something about it. (Really.) Domestic Violets is the brilliant and beguiling story of a man finally taking control of his own happiness—even if it means making a complete idiot of himself along the way.

REVIEW

Midlife crises are a common theme in the world of literary fiction. It is often comprised of a 30 to 40 something adult male who is unhappy with his life/job/wife. He is then seduced by a younger woman, who has conveniently been flirting with him for ages, and then all hell breaks loose as the ramifications of his action soon effect his work, family, and metal stability.

Domestic Violets only partially exemplifies this stereotype. Instead it focuses heavily on the seesaw between childhood and adulthood. That line between taking and giving advice from your father, and the true turn in adulthood where one realizes ones responsibility and with heavy shoulders accepts them, destroying the last plight of childhood left in ones soul.

Domestic Violets touches on all of these topics and remains true to its intent by remaining funny through out the book. Similar to Jonathan Tropper’s style of writing, Matthew Norman does a fantastic job remaining both hilarious and potent an unusually complex feat.

All in all Domestic Violets was a great read. The story sped by, the characters were interesting and dynamic, the writing humorous, and the emotions incredibly real all throughout the book. A very easy book to recommend.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Published: August 9, 2011

Price: $14.99

Moon Over Soho: By Ben Aaronovitch

MOON OVER SOHO

SUMMARY

BODY AND SOUL

The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

REVIEW

Midnight Riot was the best new urban fantasy book I read this summer. So when Moon Over Soho came out so quickly after the release of Midnight Riot, I was ecstatic and fearful. Excited because I wanted to read more in this great series, but fearful because of the hardship in creating a second book in a series.

It’s often easy to lose the momentum of a series after a fantastic debut. Authors have to steer the series into a long term story arc while at the same time keep up the events from the previous book and create a new short term problem for the protagonist to deal with.

Aaronovitch does all of this, and more with ease in Moon Over Soho.

Moon Over Soho does have the familiar feel in its mystery element that any multibook series will have after reading one or two books in the series, but it deals with it very unique and interesting ways. These new turns will both entertain and surprise readers, but most importantly it will keep the story fresh and exciting.

Like Midnight Riot I loved the protagonist of the series. I felt he was relatable and interesting. But the characters we really get to see more of in this book is Nightingale. We get a taste of what life was like before he was the only practitioner in London, and are introduced into a fantastic world of mystery and magic.

All in all Moon Over Soho is a fantastic book. It’s fast paced, the characters are fascinating and well developed, the magic interesting and complex, and it’s just plain well written. And it’s because of all of these things that Moon Over Soho, like Midnight Riot, is a fantastic book that I will enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for a book you just can’t put down.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Del Rey

Published: March 1, 2011

Price: $7.99

A Blight of Mages: By Karen Miller

A BLIGHT OF MAGES

SUMMARY

Hundreds of years before the great Mage War, a land lies, unknowing, on the edge of catastrophe...

Barl is young and impulsive, but she has a power within that calls to her. In her city, however, only those of noble blood and with the right connections learn the ways of the arcane. Barl is desperate to learn-but her eagerness to use her power leads her astray and she is banned from ever learning the mystic arts.

Morgan holds the key to her education. A member of the Council of Mages, he lives to maintain the status quo, preserve the mage bloodlines, and pursue his scholarly experiments. But Barl's power intrigues him-in spite of her low status.

Together, he realizes they can create extraordinary new incantations. Morgan's ambition and Barl's power make a potent combination. What she does not see is the darkness in him that won't be denied.

REVIEW

I read and enjoyed Karen Miller’s The Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology but felt as if at times it was slow for long sections of the book and at other times, during the action sequences, it skipped over to many of the details necessary to make it into a better more compelling story.

That said I felt A Blight of Mages improved these deficits and made a much more compelling story. The characters were interesting, while sometimes annoying (really only Barl), they appeared much more real than when compared to characters in Miller’s previous books.

As for the plot itself, it was great reading what happened to cause the events that set up The Innocent Mage. It contained build ups and let downs but not that much action, yet still found a way to be entertaining.

All in all, while there were points where I was annoyed with certain characters or was tired of one perspective, I did enjoyed the book. Besides being an enjoyment overall A Blight of Mages also acts as a great first book to become introduced into the world of The Innocent Mage, and it also makes a great look back at the events that caused the events for fans of the later set series.

RATING

7 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: August 4, 2011

Price: $25.99

Ghost Story: By Jim Butcher

GHOST STORY

SUMMARY

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

REVIEW

If you’re at all a fan of the Dresden series then you were most likely shocked with the conclusion of Changes. With Harry shot and fading away, it seemed that there were few other places for the series to continue. Then with Butcher’s book of short stories We see what the world is like after the events of Changes, but from the perspective of the strong willed and caring Murphy.

Now in Ghost Story we see Harry Dresden, Wizard for hire, in the after life. It turns out Harry must return back to world he just left in order to discover the truth behind his murder, or see his loved ones hurt themselves.

Ghost Story felt different from Butcher’s other books in the series. It’s much more about reflection and consequences than action and mystery. Besides Harry himself being a ghost the story itself dregs up a number of past references and enemies that fans of the series will not want to miss. So to help avoid missing these nuggets of reflection fans of the series, no matter their opinion on short stories should first pick up a copy of Side Jobs, as some of the characters referenced in Ghost Story are only seen in the short stories collected in Side Jobs, including Harry’s first mentor as a detective.

Besides changing the pace of the series, Ghost Story acts as the link between a the old and the new piece of this series. I’m curious how Butcher will cultivate this new section of the series and how much of the lovable band of characters will cross over into Harry new world. But one thing is for sure, Ghost Story is a fantastic book, and should be enjoyed by everyone.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc Hardcover

Published: July 26, 2011

Price: $27.95

A Shot in the Dark: By K.A. Stewart

A SHOT IN THE DARK

SUMMARY

Jesse James Dawson is a Champion, putting his life on the line for those foolish enough to bargain with demons and fighting to save their souls. But even a Champion needs some downtime, so Jesse takes his annual camping trip to Colorado for some male bonding over friendly games of paintball.

Unfortunately, the fun and war games are interrupted by a pack of creatures summoned up from the very depths of hell by an entity Jesse prayed he'd never see again. With the lives of his friends and a teenager's soul on the line, Jesse's only hope may lie with an even more dangerous enemy--his personal demon, Axel...

REVIEW

Second books in a series are hard. Those that attempt them have the problem of maintaining a world and the characters that have already been created, as well as the added struggle of furthering the story arc into that of a series, while at the same time creating a new and exciting adventure/mystery to solve until the overarching story arc can be established.

That said, K. A. Stewart does a fantastic job doing all of these things in her second book in the Jesse James Dawson Series, A Shot in the Dark.

A Shot in the Dark takes place a few months after the events of A Devil in the Details. Jesse has been experiencing PTSD from his missed assassination attempt, and has been having constant nightmares of an old foe coming back from the dead to tear him piece by piece. To help try to calm him down he and his friends decide to go on their annual camping/paintball trip. Unfortunately this trip soon changes from a happy-go-lucky trip with the guys into the literal nightmare that Jesse’s been experiencing for months. Now with the unexpected help from Axel, the Order of Saint Silvis (a rival demon hunting group), and his friends Jesse has to take down the demon of his nightmares, literally.

A Shot in the Dark is fast paced, fun, and exciting. The characters are interesting and filled with good dialog. And the story itself is fantastic. But what I was most impressed with was the way Stewart has developed the overarching story arc for the books in the future. I’m thoroughly intrigued and personally can’t wait for the next in the series.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: July 5, 2011

Price: $7.99

The Demon's Surrender: By Sarah Rees Brennan

THE DEMON'S SURRENDER

SUMMARY

The Goblin Market has always been the center of Sin’s world. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Thrown out of the Market she loves, Sin is thrown together with brothers Nick and Alan—whom she’s always despised.

Alan has been marked by a magician and is being tortured so that the magicians can get to Nick. As Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see him in a new light—but she and Mae are locked in a fierce rivalry over who will inherit the leadership of the Goblin Market, and a decisive battle with the Aventurine Circle is looming. Mae’s brother, Jamie, is holed up with the magicians, his loyalties in question. And Nick—well, who knows what a demon might do to save his brother? How far will Nick go to save Alan—and what will it cost them all?

REVIEW

The first thing I have to say is that The Demon’s Lexicon was fantastic. It was shocking, well written, and original.

Now I realize that The Demon’s Covenant changes narrators, and while it was still good in my opinion it wasn’t as fantastic as the 1^st installment. The Demon’s Surrender suffers from this same problem, as it once again changes narrators.

Of course that said, this is still a good book, and a decent end to the trilogy. It is not nearly as bad as the reviews on Amazon make it out too be, and should still be bought and enjoyed.

Obviously the first two books in the series should be read before this installment, but once you get to this piece of the story readers should fully enjoy it as the author does a fantastic job.

The action is fast and present throughout the entire story, the pace quick, and the characters interesting. I would have liked it better from Alan’s point of view, but Sin’s was still interesting.

All in all The Demon’s Surrender is a fun book that has the hard job of ending an interesting series. If you’ve read the first two books then definitely don’t hold back, and make sure you pick up this newest and final installment.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Published: June 14, 2011

Price: $18.99